Rating: That crafty minx is back, this time with a fashionista theme, following hot on the coat tails of her memoir A Life in Frocks. A self-confessed flea market and charity shop-scourer, it’s no surprise Kelly’s latest book has a belts, baubles and a chic ensemble feel – her adoration for fashion is palpable, and […]

Rating: Great title. But also a fraught title. Goodness knows, weight loss is one of the hottest and most controversial topics in the Western world and will do doubt remain that way for many generations to come. Alas – it’s often the ‘lose weight quickly’ promises that continue to fail those in search of the […]

Rating: If home is where the heart is, this beautiful book is a home-lover’s dream destination. Subtitled Evolution of the Australian Dream, an illustrated review of housing in Australia, anyone with a love of housing, town planning, architecture or even history, will warmly appreciate its content. Penned by Philip Cox, one of Australia’s best known […]

I have a little brother. His name is Harry. He’s four years old. I wish he lived somewhere else because he’s always doing naughty things and then blaming me. “It was Mia!” he says. “She told me to do it.” Yesterday our grandmother came to our house. Harry stood behind the window waiting for her […]

This is the follow-up book to “The Art of Happiness”, written by the same author. Meditation is, according to this book, the “inner transformation through training the mind.” It is a challenging and daunting prospect. Meditation is a difficult discipline to master and practise effectively. The structured way in which Matthieu Ricard leads his readers, […]

Most of us might see being happy as a matter of luck, chance, or situation, perhaps something that can be “found”. Happiness is often confused with pleasure, joy or being in love. The English language is so full of subtleties, there is a particular word for every nuance of any emotion. The unusual aspect of […]

Those with a strong arm and capacious handbag capable of carrying this weighty book will reap the rewards of an interesting read about the people who made Australia the wonderful country it is. This work is the follow-up to the first volume of “Australians” and introduces the reader to the faces of colonial society in […]

From the moment Tom woke up, he was told what to do – what to wear, what to eat, what time to go and where to be. At school he was told when and where to play, when to eat, what to read, where and how to sit, what and how to write and draw […]

Three years ago, when I was on my children’s school council, I broached the subject of sexual abuse prevention education. I asked my fellow committee members why we did not have such program in our primary school. No-one gave me a satisfactory answer, and time and time again the topic was placed to the bottom […]

My Nana says I’m her favourite girl in the whole, wide world. My Nana gives me big, warm hugs. She lets me help her make scrumptious gingerbread men. I decorate them with special icing tubes. I use blue for the eyes and green for the buttons. Nana puts hearts on hers. ‘Why do you put […]

There’s a new King in the jungle. He’s not big and ferocious. Or mean and grumpy. He doesn’t roar or bark. Or howl or growl. He’s a friendly little chap. Small in size, but giant of heart. And he couldn’t have come at a better time. There was much tension in the jungle. Everyone was […]

The Map of the Soul teaches you how to discover your higher soul’s purpose and the meaning of your life. The book is designed and set up as a step by step 12 week guide that encourages the reader to record their insights, gather vital clues that ultimately reveal the bigger picture of who you […]

Welcome to The Metabolic Clock. It is full of simple, natural, weight-loss strategies that will get you started on your journey to achieving a healthy, slim body. As I approached middle age it seemed every year I was slowly gaining more weight. I justified this weight gain and my lack of vitality as part of […]

“Ah, a nice peaceful night in the bush, far away from the noisy city!” Dad said proudly. Rikki and Tom were sitting under some trees with their parents, munching through a mountain of sausages and washing them down with hot chocolate. It was starting to get dark, and everybody was tired after a long drive […]

It was last summer that I first met and fell in love with Nigel. Nigel is everything you could wish for in a pet. He is fun to be around, loves car trips and going to the beach, is a good listener and loves spending time with me. Nigel and I met at a market… […]

Rating: There’s two things new mums don’t need. One – twelve (or more) months stuck in their maternity jeans. Two – a complicated, time-consuming regime for getting rid of said jeans. New mums are too busy being new mums, looking after their health and the health of their new babe, and attempting to catch up […]

Sun sparkled off soft waves. Sand squeaked as Josh and Emma made their way down the dunes. A woman scurried past. She paused, leaned towards them, and panted, ‘Beware the gull.’ Emma clutched her towel in a bundle under her chin. She watched the woman disappear over the dune, her long black dress billowing in […]

Rating: We’re a funny species. We know what we need to do. We know what we should be eating and should not be eating. We know all about exercise. We are totally au fait with comfort eating. We’re cohesive of the fact that too much booze and fat, and too many sweets will undo our […]

“Something’s wrong with Santa,” Mrs Claus said, sighing as she sat in the oversize armchair in front of the blazing fire. The Elf Master stopped tut-tutting over his long list. “How do you mean?” he asked. “His eyes have lost their twinkle. His cheeks are quite pale, and,” Mrs Claus took a deep breath, “He […]

Serious Jack, the garden gnome, was made without a smile. He had a line instead of a curly upturned smile. He wished he could have a big smile so that he could be happy too. So, one Christmas eve he made his Christmas wish. “Santa bring me some fun and a smile to my face,” […]

Rating: It’s Christmas time – a time that’s meant to be the happiest of the year but for many, the festive season is fraught with stress, relationship strain, financial burden and that Scrooge-like feeling that can seriously test the boundaries of inner contentment. Balancing the ‘perfect’ get together with family and friends can become an […]

“What do you mean, no presents for children this year?” Santa Claus was puffing on his exercise bike when the new Head Elf marched into his office. “We’ve looked at the records of every child, Santa. Each one is bad and deserves no present. You and the reindeer can have a quiet night at home […]

I was worried when Mum said . . . ‘That kookaburra in the garden is one of Santa’s helpers. He’ll watch you, James, to see if you are good, to see if you deserve a present from Santa.’ There were only five chocolates left in my advent calendar when I forgot to shut the back […]

Rating: Could there be a more perfect time for a book on everyday kindness? Author and holistic wellbeing expert Stephanie Dowrick has long been tapped into Australia’s emotional zeitgeist, plucking needful gems from society’s ills and polishing them into beautiful books that lay open the requirements at hand. Whether it be learning about intimacy in […]

Handsome, smart, adventurous and philothranthopic? Stand back girls, 26-year-old Sebastian Terry is too busy zipping all over our fair planet achieving extraordinary things to stop for a quick flirtatious chat. Alas. This brand new author, with a degree in Human Movement, is certainly a jack of all trades. Having held almost 100 jobs in his […]

Rating: “Treasury” is an apt description of this wonderful collection of over 40 short stories. Each of the stories is a real gem, unique and beautiful. Some are as subtle as aquamarines, or dazzling with the bright fire of diamonds; a few perhaps glowing with the depth of rubies and others, gentle like pearls. All […]

Flames shot up Jake’s nose, but it didn’t burn like he thought it would. It tickled. ‘Arrrrr-choooo!’ His sneeze created an enormous blast of scorching hot air that reached a hundred thousand kilometres into the sky. ‘So that’s how sun flares happen,’ he said. Jake bounced over the molten, bubbling larva and floated through pools […]

Rating: Susan Duncan is no stranger to sea-side living: her best-selling memoirs A Life on Pittwater and Salvation Creek both touch on her experiences as a new resident in the coastal town of Pittwater. In The Briny Cafe, Duncan’s first novel, Pittwater is given a fictionalised treatment. Given the moniker of Cook’s Basin, it’s joyfully […]

Every year under the Poppy Town tower, They held a show for the fanciest flower. They set up long tables in Poppy Town Hall, And polished the ribbon sought after by all. Each budding florist entered the room, Ready to show off their favourite bloom. Flowers in vases and flowers in pots, Flowers with […]

Rating: How far would you go for love and when does it cross the line into obsession? The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty tells the tale of a hypnotherapist named Ellen O’Farrell, her lover Patrick and Saskia, who is Patrick’s ex-girlfriend and stalker. Ellen O’Farrell leads a normal life helping people overcome some of […]

Rating: This is an extremely well-crafted novel, one that will enthral and convert even the most reluctant of crime fiction readers. The arrival of an elderly American tourist in London mysteriously sets off a seemingly unconnected chain of events. What might have been mere self-indulgence in nostalgia, draws out past misdeeds to seriously threaten the […]

Rating: Ruby Stanhope, the delightfully imperfect star of last year’s chick lit sensation Campaign Ruby, returns to answer that perennial question – what happened next? It’s two years since Max Masters became prime minister and Ruby is still working for him. Her life is now a series of early mornings, late nights and endless to-do […]

Rating: There’s a lot of pressure on any author who has been writing a series since they were 14 as Isobelle Carmody has. She began writing the first book in this series back then and the expectation from the readers is that she will bring her trademark use of words, evoking the world of Obernewtyn, […]

Rating: Inspector Malcolm Fox is a man challenged by the past, on more than one level. Firstly, within the confines of this novel, he stumbles across a hushed-up 25-year-old mystery that his superiors are determined to let lie. Secondly, as a fictional character, he’ll always be compared to his predecessor, Rebus. Scottish author Ian Rankin […]

Daisy loved staying with Nan and her dog Sausage in their little white cottage in the country. ‘I have a surprise for you,’ said Nan at breakfast time. ‘What is it?’ asked Daisy. ‘Come outside and see.’ Nan opened the door and Daisy and Sausage raced outside. Flowers, hundreds and thousands of flowers were sprinkled […]

Rating: Wood doesn’t hammer her themes but there is plenty to think about in this novel. As a sucker for books where the characters learn something, I recommend Animal People as a very satisfying read. As someone who has always lived with animals, whether cats, fish, rabbits, chickens, dogs or farm animals, I tend to […]

Rating: Di Morrisey immerses the reader in the world of the Australian Outback: raw, powerful, harsh and supremely beautiful. Highly recommended. In the land of the Opal hunters, there is so much more than the eye can see and not just underground. Many who take refuge in the remote and lonely outposts of the desert […]

Rating: An extraordinary family secret links a seemingly ordinary Australian family to an exotic plantation in Malaysia. This story spans three generations of political upheaval and change in what was then known as Malaya. It is a beautifully told story of one family’s quest to find the truth about its past, how the pieces of […]

Rating: How glorious it is to travel. To wander the planet and delight in the cultural and geographical wonder stretching to all corners of the globe. To delve into, experience, treasure … and perhaps even amass the odd memento, souvenir, precious object that found its way to us, whether by chance or deliberately-plotted hunt. Bringing […]